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Dr. Stevens, Ophthalmologist

Category: Eye

Satisfied Customers: 1404

Experience: Board Certified Ophthalmologist

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my father in law says that he has melanoma cancer behind his

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my father in law says that he has melanoma cancer behind his eye. It's a long story, but we think he may be lying. He says that the dr. told him that there was nothing they could do for him, and to just go about living his life, because he had a year to live. It seemed odd to me and I looked up treatment options. There are plenty of treatment options out there that I have found, but he says that the only options the dr. gave him might leave him a vegetable or dead. I relaly think he is being dishonest...like I said, it's a long story. But he claims he is dying, but hasnt seen a dr. in a year. How can I really tell?

Melanomas in or around the eye are typically choroidal melanomas (in the back of the eyeball, near the retina). You are correct, there are options for all stages of ocular melanoma. It is hard to tell you how to investigate this, but one thing I can tell you is that if he has such advanced disease that he has a year to live, his involved eye should theoretically have poor vision. Even in cases of metastatic disease, chemotherapy can be helpful. I hope this helps, Dr. Stevens

Just one more thing..thank you so much for replying so quickly!:) I do appreciate it! When he first told us he had it, he said they found what looked like a frekle behind his eye and they were going to test it. Then he said they tested it and that they said it was melanoma and that if they did radiation, it might leave him brain damaged because it was so close to the brain. Which i did no beleve at all when he was telling us.

Now he says that he thinks things are getting worse because he has been having headaches and is eating all the time, but not gaining any weight. So now he says it's just a matter of time before he dies and has a lot of people freaked out. I have been telling him to go to the Dr. but he keeps saying that there is nothing that they can do and he hasnt seen anyone is over a year. Everything I have researched has told me that there is always an option for radiotherepy unless it is a large tumor, which then there might need to be removal of the eye. Is there reason to believe that he is lying with the information I have givin you? Please, this means a great deal to my family! again, I greatly appreciate this!

all the details you stated in this post are very accurate ....starts out as a freckle that we are suspicious about....radiation is offered at first, then later eye may need to be removed to reduce chance of metastasis, etc. Headaches can be a part of the process especially with local invasion. From a facts standpoint, he has those parts correct. I think you folks should try to convince him to get chedked out. Dr. Stevens

we have tried to tell him to go see a Dr. but he says that it is pointless because "he says" the last Dr. told him that there was nothing they could do for him. But it hasnt even been a year since he told us about the freckle that they found, and he is already claiming that he is dying from it. I guess my last thing I need answered is...I need to know that there is always treatment for these things right? I need to go to him with facts and tell him that there are options for him. Thank you so much!

there are treatments in all stages of ocular melanomas, there are places that can do placque therapy where radiation is concentrated on the eyeball, there is chemo for metastatic disease, etc. I wish him well, Dr. Stevens

I will tell you that...the things you have to go through to be an Expert are quite rigorous.

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